Upcoming updates

A lot of information has come in during the last week. I'm still sorting through it right now, so be patient.

I have found the Accountant. And his story will creep you the hell out, soon.

I have also found the Fireman. Fans of Robert Resslers book Whoever Fights Monsters may remember he closed his chapter on Amy by mentioning that a police officer and a fireman were once suspects in the case. More on him, soon.

I also got a great tip on a fella from Ashland, who was questioned by police in 1989. Turns out this guy came up to Bay Village quite a bit back then to visit his kids, and lived not far from where Amy's body was found.

Three more interesting characters, but remember, they didn't all do it. So, since they remain uncharged, I'll probably not reveal their names (except, perhaps, the accountant). But I'll give enough info so that it will hopefully generate some new leads.

Also, I will be talking about the autopsy report sooner than the anniversary, I think. Too much speculation about what's in it. Too many people getting it wrong. I think it's better we were all on the same page. So, I'll do so in a respectful manner in the near future. Don't pin your hopes on the details, though. There's more questions than answers, there.

Finally, the five-part story on Robert Buell and Ralph Ross Jr. should be up in the next two weeks.

In the meantime, if you're looking for something to read, check out Silent Witness by Richard North Patterson. Patterson spent time in Bay Village researching his book, and the result is a very intruiging mystery that sort of combines the Sam Sheppard case with the Mihaljevic abduction (using different names, of course).
-James Renner

Lamborgine To Die in Prison

According to the Detroit Free Press, Ted Lamborgine was sentenced to three life sentences by Michigan Judge Annette Berry this morning.

There's been a lot of interest lately concerning Lamborgine and whether he was involved in Amy's abdution. So far, though, no one has linked Lamborgine to Bay Village or the area of Ashland County, where her body was found. Bay Village police are looking at him--they look at every pervert who lived in Northeast Ohio in 1989--but there are more interesting suspects on their radar at this time.

Personally, I don't think it's him, either. This guy was into boys. Amy's killer picked her specifically. He knew her. He stalked her. Just doesn't sound like Lamborgine.

Packed House in New London

Over 100 people showed up for my reading in New London last Sunday. So many, in fact, that it had to be moved into the church next door to make room for everyone. Usually, these readings only last an hour, but I spent nearly two hours talking about the new developments in the case and answering questions from residents.

The most interesting tidbit of the day came from a young man whose friend's grandfather once worked for the Bay Village police department. Word is that this man's relatives owned property on County Road 1281, a mile east of where Amy was found. There were picnics out there in the 60's and 70's and people from Bay were invited to come down.

Ellen Simmons wrote about the reading for the Ashland Times-Gazette.

Check back soon for new information.
-James Renner

Reading in New London this Sunday!

April 15: 2PM Reading & Video Presentation at the New London Public Library, 67 South Main St., New London. Q&A to follow. Admission is free. Hope to see you there!

Bay Village talks about Lamborgine

With the hightened interest in Ted Lamborgine, Bay Village police released this statement to the media last week:

"The Bay Village Police Department continues to explore all investigative avenues to develop leads in the homicide of Amy Mihaljevic. New technology is available today that was not available 17 years ago when Amy Mihaljevic was abducted and murdered. Likewise, it is not known what technology might be available in the future that could prove beneficial. Therefore, we continue to collect, preserve and analyze any and all potential evidence.

As a matter of practice, the Bay Village Police explores offenders with a history of molesting children. Bay Village Police is aware of the cases involving Theodore Lamborgine. Because his crimes involve children, we will pursue all investigative leads regarding Lamborgine, including the availablility of his DNA for future comparison purposes. Bay Village Police has no specific information connecting Theodore Lamborgine to the Amy Mihaljevic case.

The Bay Village Police Department, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, continues to work diligently on this case. Information recieved from the public will be vitally important to solving this homicide and we appreciate the efoorts of those who have helped to publicize this case and those who have provided law enforcement with information. ANyone with information should contact the Bay Village Police Department at 440-871-1234 or the FBI at 216-522-1400."

Larry Bess Update

Larry Bess disappeared from his home in North Royalton, Ohio, a few days after Amy was abduted. At the time, he was charged with sex crimes against children and awaiting trial. He remained hidden until earlier this year, when the FBI caught up with him in Athens, Georgia. He had been living under the alias "Norman Weatherby".

Because of the timing of Bess' vanishing act, and the nature of his alleged crime, I was interested in speaking to him about Amy.

Last week Bess appeared in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas and his lawyers argued for a reduced bond so that the 66 year-old could get out of jail while he awaits trial. That's when the prosecutor revealed to the court that Bess's girlfriend back home in Georgia is worth $426 million. Reduced bail was denied.

It would also seem that Bess probably had no involvement in Amy's abduction. He was apparently in Texas a couple weeks before Amy's abduction, getting his fake ID and most likely not in Ohio at the time Amy was taken. However, the prosecutor did say that he expected more indictments against Bess in the near future for similar crimes. It will be interesting to see what those are.

-James Renner

Ashland Surrenders Autopsy Report

Two years.

That's how long Ashland County Coroner William Emery and Prosecutor Ramona Rogers stalled me on my requests to view the hidden details of Amy's crime scene and the autopsy report that followed. Thanks to involvement from Attorney General Marc Dann's office, I was finally given access to those files this morning.

The terms were these: No pens, no pencils, no recording devices. Eyes only. And I had to sit under the watchful eye of Emery's wife, Karen, who recently had the Ashland County bookstore remove a display of the book because it "offended" her. Needless to say, it was a high-pressure situation.

I wish I could unsee what I have seen. I wish I could remember her as the girl with the side-saddle ponytail.

I'm in a weird spot, now. On one hand, I'm a reporter who values open records and open government, who believes that this information should be shared with the public. On the other hand, I am also someone who has become a little obsessed with solving this case. And I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize the ongoing investigation. Especially at the moment, when Bay Village detectives seem to be hot on the killer's trail, once again.

I've decided to hold off on releasing details. I figure six months is a fair amount of time. Long enough for DNA results to come back. If the Bay Village detectives still have not solved this crime by then, I'll tell you what I found. If I was a betting man, though, I'd say they'll have it solved in half that time.

So, on October 27, 2007, on the 18th anniversary of the abduction, I'll release the information contained in those files here, first.

I have learned that I have been mislead by certain informants about the nature of this crime. At least one person intentionally lied to me. What their motivations were are beyond my comprehension. Quotes from individuals that appear in the book in reference to the crime scene should be weighed against the character of the person talking. Like any good mystery novel, there are characters who cannot be entirely trusted.

In the meantime, let me just say that there is reason to hope. I believe that now more than ever. They have the evidence necessary to solve this crime.

And it appears Kristy Sabo was right. Amy fought back.

***Update***
As I expected, the reaction to my decision to not talk about the autopsy publicly until October is not exactly welcomed by all (see comments below). All I can say is that we've waited 17 years for these answers. Six more months isn't too much to ask. Let's give Bay Village a little more time. And on that subject, please don't assume anything that you know about the crime scene is fact. I've made that mistake myself. Debate, conjecture if you will. But don't state anything as fact. We have not been told the truth in the past. I promise, the truth is coming.
-James Renner

Is It Really Ted Lamborgine???

Fox 8's I-Team just reported on Ted Lamborgine's possible involvement in Amy's abduction (a special thanks to all those readers who called or emailed to let me know it was going to be on). Lawyer Terry Gilbert--who represented Sam Reese Sheppard in the latest trial related to that other famous Bay Village mystery--appeared in an interview and pointed out that one possible reason Lamborgine may have had for passing up the Michigan prosecutor's plea deal, was that the deal didn't include immunity from prosecution for Amy's murder here in Ohio.

I don't want to get too excited here. But, there are many similarities between Amy's abduction/murder and those of the four children from Oakland County, Michigan in the late 70's. I first mentioned this connection in a post here on December 8. So check out the archives if you want to read more.

I'm going to head up to Michigan for Lamborgine's next appearance in court (April 20, I believe). I'll have more for you, then.

In the meantime, Bay Village detectives are still hard at work on this case. There are many other suspects that are being examined (I was just in court today, taking pictures of Larry Bess, and the prosecutor in that case had some very interesting things to say--more on that soon). And don't forget about those DNA tests. Lamborgine's DNA will be compared against the evidence Bay Village has.

One way or another, we're getting close to an answer. Cross your fingers.